Wazazi Nipendeni Safe Motherhood Campaign

Wazazi Nipendeni integrates all safe motherhood health areas under one platform, including early and complete ante-natal care (ANC) attendance, malaria prevention, the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT), individual birth planning, and safe delivery. Key channels include radio and television spots and programmes on national and regional stations, clinic posters, client materials, billboards, and other outdoor and promotional materials.

Wazazi Nipendeni emphasises the following key behaviours:

• Attend ANC within the first 16 weeks of pregnancy
• Attend ANC at least four times during pregnancy
• Test for HIV together with their partner
• Enrol in PMTCT services if HIV positive
• Receive 2 doses of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) for the prevention of malaria in pregnancy
• Sleep under a treated net every night
• Make an individual birth plan
• Deliver at a health facility with a skilled provider.

An SMS component is an integral part of the Wazazi Nipendeni campaign. Pregnant women, mothers with babies up to 16 weeks, and their supporters can send the word "mtoto" to the number 15001 free of charge. After registering, users receive a range of free messages covering all aspects of safe pregnancy and early child care. All messages have been approved by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and match the specific month or week of pregnancy or age of the baby. The service offers the registrants time sensitive reminders for ANC visits, SP doses for prevention of malaria in pregnancy, as well as information on testing for HIV, nutrition, individual birth planning, and much more.

The campaign has also produced a song that is being aired on stations nationwide.

Visit the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs (JHUCCP) website to download posters and watch television spots.

Maternal and Child Health

According to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs, while maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) has seen improvements in Tanzania in the last few decades, Tanzanian women still face an unacceptably high risk of preventable morbidity and mortality during their reproductive years. Tanzania's maternal mortality ratio remains high at 454 deaths per 100,000 lives births, as does its infant mortality rate, at 51 deaths per 1,000 live births. Tanzania has committed to improving MNCH through the Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa in Tanzania (CARMMAT), which recognises the importance of social and behaviour change communication in its efforts to save the lives of Tanzania's women and children.

The Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA) was launched in May 2009 by the African Union to trigger concerted and increased action towards improving maternal and newborn health and survival across the continent. The main objective of CARMMA is to expand the availability and use of universally accessible quality health services, including those related to sexual and reproductive health that are critical for the reduction of maternal mortality. The focus is not to develop new strategies and plans, but to ensure coordination and effective implementation of existing ones.